The Jeep Wrangler rolled over "several times" Tuesday morning before coming to a rest on Truman Parkway, north of Whitfield Avenue, according to police. Dustin Dauphinee, 18, was ejected from the Jeep and was pronounced dead. (Michael Atkins/Savannah Morning News)

The Jeep driven by Dustin Dauphinee tumbled about 50 yards and landed on its side after clipping the side of a Volvo parked along the Truman Parkway on Tuesday morning. Dauphinee, 18, was ejected from the Wrangler and pronounced dead at Memorial University Medical Center. (Michael Atkins/Savannah Morning News)

Dustin Dauphinee, 18, was a defensive lineman for the Calvary Cavaliers. Courtesy of Calvary Day School

Couches in the main office of Calvary Day Upper School were packed Tuesday with students mourning a friend who died hours before.

Some embraced one another during fits of sobs, while others tried to tough it out. But 16-year-old Richard Thomas shared his true feelings.

Thomas' best friend, Dustin Dauphinee, 18, was killed in a vehicle crash Tuesday morning on Truman Parkway, when his 2000 Jeep Wrangler clipped the side of a Volvo idling on the shoulder of the roadway.

"Right now, I'm kind of teared out," Thomas said. "At first, it was a huge shock, and I'm kind of now starting to realize that's all there is to it - he's gone."

Jeep clips car, rolls over

According to Savannah-Chatham police, the driver of a Volvo hatchback had stopped on the parkway's shoulder about 8:15 a.m., moments before the northbound Jeep clipped its side.

The Volvo's driver had "safely pulled to the side of the road to get her sunglasses," said Gena Moore, metro police spokeswoman, adding that after impact, the soft-top Jeep rolled over "several times."

It tumbled at least 50 yards northward, ejecting Dauphinee and leaving the roadway littered with debris.

The Jeep hurtled to a halt on its side, not far from the Whitfield Avenue exit.

Dauphinee was rushed to Memorial University Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead, Moore said.

The crash closed northbound lanes of Truman Parkway for several hours; a police investigation was ongoing late Tuesday.

Prayer yields hope

Calvary Upper School Principal James Taylor arrived Tuesday morning at Memorial to console Dauphinee's mother, who is a nurse at the school. Then he headed back to campus to shepherd his students through the wake of their loss.

The school was holding chapel that morning, and Taylor took charge, he said, guiding the 630 grief-stricken students to a passage from Romans 8.

"In the latter few verses, it says during times of distress we don't even know to pray, and yet it says the Holy Spirit is groaning for us on our behalf," Taylor said.

The students later broke into small groups and prayed together for the family.

"I looked out into the crowd, and it was just a beautiful thing," he said.

Chapel ended with a large group of parents offering students hugs and shoulders to cry on. A group of youth pastors, counselors and all of the school's Bible teachers rallied to provide support.

The pain was too great for some students to attend class, and they went home. After all, Taylor said, the school had lost a leader.

"If I was to take leadership kids in the school, Dustin would be No. 1, 2 and 3," he said. "He was a young man who had such integrity - such Christian integrity.

"It's rare when you get kids willing to not only do what's right but also willing to be that example for their friends."

Taylor said Dauphinee's family sought refuge on campus with fellow churchgoers and asked that Taylor handle any questions from the media. Dauphinee's father is a retired Savannah-Chatham police officer, Taylor said.

Inspired many

Calvary Athletic Director Chad Griffin said Dauphinee carried his leadership onto the football field, where he won numerous accolades that included a spot on the 2009 All-Greater Savannah Football Team.

"You don't want to have favorites, but Dustin was a special young man from the fact that he had high integrity and he was a tremendously moral kid," Griffin said. "He always stood his ground on that."

Dauphinee started weight training two years ago to help reach his goal of playing college football. Weeks later, many of his teammates followed suit, Griffin said.

"He doesn't have to be a vocal leader because he's leading by example," he said. "I think a lot of kids saw that in Dustin."

Griffin admits he too was affected by Dauphinee's example.

"I think the biggest impact for me personally is that I have a son who is two and a half," he said. "If my son turns out half the way Dustin Dauphinee is, I'll be a very happy parent."

'It's all sinking in'

Thomas' tired eyes darted around the room Tuesday afternoon as he recounted the positive qualities he saw in his best friend.

He recalled their vacations to Florida, hunting and fishing trips, and mud-bogging romps.

Their friendship fit like two pieces in a puzzle, he said.

"We'd do anything for each other. We knew we'd always be friends after high school.